The Don Valley Brickworks operated for nearly 100 years, providing bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall and Massey Hall. In 1928, the factory was sold and the name changed to the Toronto Brick Company. This change in ownership also saw the factory reach peak production of 25 million bricks per year. The kilns have been closed since 1984 and the property is currently owned and being revitalized by Evergreen.

To bring some life back to the soon to be public space, I found six former workers who were employed when the factory shut down and photographed them at their homes. These images were then installed inside the factory’s kiln building.

To create the brick pattern, I worked with my assistant, Joe Cornfield, to cut everything out on-site as the bricks were of different sizes and the mortar various widths and heights. An arduous task for sure, but a testament to the men who helped to build Toronto, brick by brick.